FAMU sign at the Will Packer Ampitheater where Set Friday is held. (Ashley Bigbee/The FAMUAN)
For decades, “Set Friday” has been the heartbeat of campus culture at Florida A&M University. But in recent years, some have wondered if tradition has faded. Now, with new themes and fresh energy, the question feels different: Is Set making a comeback?
Paris Halliburton, a third-year public relations student from Prince Georges County, Maryland, said, “Set feels more alive now than it did when she first arrived on the Hill.”
“Honestly, since I have been here, I feel like Set has really been the same,” Halliburton said. She said themes are making a clear difference in turnout.
“Back when they were not doing themes too much, students were not really coming out because they thought it was just going to be the same every time,” Halliburton said. “Now it encourages students to dress up and really take in the culture.”
For freshmen, the weekly event is still fresh and exciting. Glenroy O’Gilvie, a first-year biology pre-medicine scholar from Washington, D.C., remembers his first Set before he even enrolled.
“My first time seeing Set was March 22 of 2025. I came to Be Out Day and I really enjoyed my experience,” O’Gilvie said. “When I got here, the first Set I went to was Candidates Set, and it was a good experience. I try to go every week because there are vendors and I like supporting local businesses.”
Alumni are noticing the shift as well. Zoe Hightower, a 2024 graduate, said she has seen Set’s culture rise and fall.
“When I started college in 2020, it was COVID, so I did not experience a Set until 2021,” Hightower said. “At the time, people were excited because everything was coming back socially.
Hightower noted specifically a recovery after it declined in popularity.
“It got played out,” she said. “From what I see on Instagram though, that culture looks like it is coming back to FAMU.”
The Efferson Student Union and Activities team has been working to make that happen. Edward Kincheon, assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Volunteer Programs, said Set Fridays are steadily evolving thanks to the work of student leaders on the Campus Activities Board.
“Set Friday is making a strong comeback,” Kincheon said. “CAB is doing an amazing job making sure things are there that students want to see and hear.”
Kincheon emphasized inclusion and the possibility of a weekly Set.
“From vendors to artists, we are trying to give a wide variety so there is something for everybody,” he said. “It may not be every Friday yet, but we are getting closer to that.”
He added that keeping the tradition alive requires flexibility.
“Change is inevitable. We cannot just rest on a tradition, we have to build on it,” Kincheon said. “It may not look like what you are used to, but we are evolving with the times and making sure students and alumni can enjoy it.”
Some believe the energy from underclassmen is what keeps the tradition strong.
“Honestly, I think Set this year has been really good,” said Serina Anderson, a third-year business administration student from Houston, Texas. “ Juniors and seniors have been doing it for years, but the freshmen bring new energy.”